Books are precious. They are gold mines of information, entertainment, and education.
The words between the pages have the power to transform us in ways beyond our imagination.
They possess the magic to make us laugh, cry, cringe and seethe with anger.
As a writer, reading is part of the job. It fills the creative well. It inspires. It empowers.
Each year, Goodreads, offers a reading challenge. You choose how many books you’d like to read in a year and then you keep a record of it. I’ve done this three years in a row so far and I love it.
The number of books I challenge myself to read changes from year to year but regardless I love being able to see what has been on my reading list throughout the year. It’s easy to forget, so Goodreads allows me to reminisce.
Some books were great, others not so. The ones I enjoyed very much I gave a rating which you can find on Goodreads. Anything that wasn’t to my taste was finished but not reviewed. You can find my top five choices for readers and top three choices for writers at the bottom.
Remember, what we like is subjective. So be nice when leaving reviews. Writers are human, they can also be quite touchy. Always be kind, there’s never enough of that in the world.
In total, there were 26 non-fiction books and 44 fiction books. I did read a few others that weren’t recorded along with numerous children’s books that I read to my son. There’s also a duplicate on here but these things happen.
People still love to read. Check out these stats for the 2018 challenge:
Are you on Goodreads? Let’s connect. I’d love to hear from you.
What are some awesome books you’ve read this year? I’d love to hear your recommendations.
*I am a part of the Amazon Associate Program which means if you click on the links and purchase the books I may be compensated by Amazon for any qualifying purchases. This is at no extra cost to you but helps me with the running costs of this website.
Do you look back the books you read? Do you remember everything you read? 2019 in Books saw me read a variety of fiction and non-fiction, most of which I thoroughly enjoyed.
I’ve always been a voracious reader. I remember days when I would read a book a day. I was young. Romantic. I didn’t yet realise that all the reading was setting me up to be a writer.
I’m not sure when I decided that my dream job would be to write for a living. It must have been when I was a teenager.
My first attempt at a book was in grade 4, I think I was 9 or 10. It was titled The Magic Tree. I remember illustrating it too. I wish I had it but it disappeared somewhere over the years and only remains alive in my memory.
I wrote some short stories for kids when I was twelve or thirteen. I recall typing them up on an electric typewriter at a friend’s house – this was before computers went mainstream.
In my teens it was writing romances and poetry about lost loves.
I wanted to work for secret organisation and be trained to save the world. I mean WTF? Does anyone else do this? LOL!
All these things and more led to me wanting to write books.
I enjoy writing as much as I enjoy reading.
Unfortunately, it’s easy to forget the books that you read over time. Last year, I got through 70+ books.
If you’re interested in what I thought of all those books, you can connect with me on Goodreads. I rate most of the books I read. I don’t, however, rate a book if I thought it was less than three stars, or a genre I wouldn’t normally read in.
Reviews are subjective and I don’t want to be an asshole.
I’d love to hear about the books you’re reading. Leave a comment below with any recommendations or join me on Goodreads!
2019 in Books
This year I read a lot of non fiction books. Some self help ones, some general ones, a mixture of fiction and non-fiction. The top three that stood out and I highly recommended are:
The Moment of Lift by Melinda Gates Before reading this book I knew nothing about Melinda Gates besides the fact that she was the wife of one of the richest guys on the planet, you know the one that created Microsoft. Wink, wink. I did not expect to be blown away by her book. Was it going to be another rich lady pretending to save the world? Yeah, terrible thought I know. The book delves into her philanthropy and the small steps we can all take to empower women and how that empowerment can change the world. Wowsers.
Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton This has to be the most amazing fiction book I have read in a long time. It grabbed you right from the start. Great characters and engaging story told from a perspective of a young boy in the 1980s. There’s love, magic and crime. A beautiful book I highly recommend.
In Extremis: The Life & Death of War Correspondent Marie Colvin by Lindsey Hilsum Using a combination of stories from friends, colleagues and emails, In Extremis tells the incredible story of Marie Colvin and how she sacrificed her life so she could be the voice of voiceless people. Brave, crazy, courageous, sad and inspiring.
My 2019 in Books
I have over 500 books in my ‘want to read’ pile on Goodreads. That’s a lot of books. It’s unlikely that I’ll get through all of them in a lifetime as I keep adding to the list quite regularly. But I’m going to give it my best shot.
Without further ado, here are the books I enjoyed in 2019.
What books did you read in 2019? Which were your favourite?
The year in review. 2019. Wow. I’d like to say I’ve achieved every goal I set for myself but that would be a lie. I didn’t. In fact, most of the big goals were not reached. Disappointed? You bet I am. Discouraged to try again, most certainly not.
We need to be honest with ourselves.
I like goals and objectives. I love ticking off items from a never-ending to-do list. Yep, crazy. I could be spending that time watching Netflix or sitting at the pub guzzling a cheap Shiraz.
https://gph.is/2RITZqj
Nope. I’ll keep going because the only failure there is, is giving up on the life you want, it’s giving up on your dreams, giving up on yourself.
Not an option.
Emotionally it’s been a tough year. Many things didn’t go according to plan.
Do I blame the universe? Do I blame someone else? I want to, I really really want to.
But it’s the decisions we make every day that lead us to where we are today. Sure we might be influenced by others to a degree along with our misconceptions about the world we live in, but ultimately the decisions we make are our own. We need to own them. Only then, can we learn to grow.
2019: The Year in Review
Whilst my goals were not completed, it was a good year. A fun year. An adventurous year.
My son started prep at his first big year of school and graduated to grade 1. Super proud mum here. He learn to read and write and do all sorts of other things – and he speaks two languages. No choice there given we speak two languages at home.
We got comfortable in the house we built – although there’s still a lot more work and sacrifice ahead.
There was lot’s of socialising and having fun. Probably way too much food and wine too.
We travelled to Poland, and my son was a rock star on the trip, loves flying, loves travelling and did all the crazy things with us like spend 18km trekking through the city in one day, obviously there were at least three ice cream stops along the way. I’d really like to include Warsaw or Poland in general in one of my future books. I’ll keep you posted how that idea is panning out.
I published a book. Just one. I drafted many. Half will end up in the trash. That’s okay. It was a year of figuring out where I want to go with my writing.
There were tough times throughout the year. Days when I didn’t want to get out of bed. But I don’t really have a choice when there’s a five-year-old to take to school and work waiting for you to show up. Okay, there’s always a choice, I always chose the option of getting up.
We often forget how good we have it. It’s so easy to take things for granted instead. None of what we have is a right, it’s a privilage. We’re lucky to be living where we are living and have access to clean streets, parks, good healthcare, and welfare, and sunshine for at least 300 days of the year.
Be grateful & prosper
Life is busy. It’s easy to take the little things for granted and let the moments that truly matter pass us by. It could be an evening game of Chess with your son, a stroll along the beach on a perfect sunny day, a productive afternoon of writing, a night out with friends, a delicious meal at the end of the day.
It’s the little things that matter most.
What are you grateful for this year?
I was going to make an extensive list. The who, the what, the why. But what purpose will that serve? How does that help you? How does it help me?
It’s a reminder. Nothing else. One day a year is not enough to be grateful. We need to practice it everyday until it becomes ingrained in us.
Bad shit will always happen. So will the good stuff. The problem is we focus too much on the bad and ignore the good. Did you know that one bad thing can negate ten good things? You need ten good ones to negate a bad one.
Crazy.
Why do we find it so difficult to appreciate the awesomeness in our lives, no matter how small?
Being grateful doesn’t mean not wanting more. We need to want more. We need to have goals and ambitions.
Millions of people will be setting goals right now. They’ll be thinking about all the amazing things that 2020 will bring. Some will write them out on paper, stick them on the fridge, and feel proud about all they hope to accomplish.
But there’s a more important step to take first.
Reflection.
How to set better goals for 2020?
Look back over the past 365 days of 2019. What went right? What went wrong? Are you happy with your progress? In this moment are you in the place you envisioned you’d be a year ago?
Only about 5% of New Year’s Resolutions are actually stuck to, and that’s being generous. It’s probably closer to 1%.
Do you want to be part of that 1%?
YEEESSSSSS!
Good. Start reflecting and discover what it is that you need to do to change.
What habits are interfering with your success? How can you do things differently in 2020? What’s one thing you can do each day that will bring you closer to keeping your New Year’s Resolutions and achieving your goals?
Progress doesn’t have to come in leaps. It can be baby steps that are as simple as going for a twenty minute walk each morning, writing 100 words before bed, reading a book a month, stashing $20 a week in an envelope for a rainy day, calling your grandma on a Sunday night, drinking more water, talking to one new person each week.
Think about the little things that can make your year and your life bright, happier, healthier and more successful.
Maybe you’re already happy and successful and have everything that you want. That’s awesome. Well done to you. You can still reflect, remember, and remind yourself of all the amazing things you do every day and the wonderful people that are in your life. Show appreciation.
We can all show a little bit more appreciation from time to time, for others, and for ourselves.
Writing is an important part of my life. I want to write, create content, author books. In 2019, I didn’t follow through. I made goals but didn’t stick to the action plan. I feel as if my writing has suffered as a result.
There are millions of writers who are better than me.
That’s okay.
It doesn’t mean that I shouldn’t write.
There are many doctors. Some are better than others. Should those one that aren’t as good just quit? Of course not.
The same goes for writing. It goes for anything at all.
If you love something enough, don’t give up no matter what anyone tells you. Just go for it, sooner or later, if you constantly work to improve, you are going to get what you want or at least a version of it.
Enjoy the journey. Stop and smell the roses. Smelling the roses is really important.
Cheers to 2019 – hope it treated you well!
Do you reflect at the end of December and do a year in review? How was your 2019? Did you achieve your goals?
I’ll never understand people who don’t like to reading books. They’re missing out on experiences that are beyond their reach. They’re depriving themselves of different worlds, emotions, cultures, customs, truths, and growth. Simply put, they’re missing out.
Growth is critical for humans – physical, mental, emotional. Whilst we are born helpless, reliant on adults to take care of us as we grow before maturing into toddlers, kids, adolescents, teens, and finally adults. It’s a cycle that varies in longevity.
It’s sad that some people choose to remain in the one spot even when there’s opportunities abound.
We learn from our mistakes. Sometimes we learn from the people around us. Often we learn from books.
But what if you don’t read? How do you grow with patches over your eyes and being able to only see in front of you? How do you understand the world and the people in it when you aren’t willing to open up your mind to the beauty that’s out there?
I don’t think you can, not completely anyway.
Books not only teach us but also bring us together. They make up our culture, helping us learn, grow, experience, live.
There are those who scrunch up their nose at fiction. Some refuse to read anything but literary novels or biographies. Then there are those who stick to fantasy and sci-fi.
That’s okay.
We all have our likes and dislikes. Whether you’re reading Bill Gates or Game of Thrones, each has something to offer about humanity, community and life in general.
Occasionally, all we want is a bit of entertainment.
The Importance of Reading
The beauty in books is that the reader chooses what they take from them. The author cannot decide it. They are simply the messenger.
Whether you’re a writer or not, reading has many benefits. Including, and not limited to:
Emotional development
Increasing vocabulary
Improving your knowledge in a particular area
Develops the imagination
Improved writing skills
Cheap entertainment
Expand your horizons
One of my hopes is that one day I will write something that inspires. Sometimes that opens up the minds and hearts of readers. I want to write something that will help someone grow, follow their dreams, or push themselves to work towards their goals in a positive way.
Until that day, I will keep writing fiction, I will continue meddling in non fiction, and I will definitely continue reading lots and lots of books. With that I will grow as a writer and a human being. There is no other option.
Books are the doors to a curious mind. I’m curious. I love learning new things. I just wish that curiosity translated to good communication skills. Yes, that comes with practice, and I don’t give myself a chance, or any credit for that matter. But that’s another story.
As a writer, I find it even more difficult to comprehend how writers claim to never read. How can you write a book if you never read them? It doesn’t make sense. It’s like being a chef but never going to a restaurant to try another chef’s cooking.
I try to read at least a book a week. That’s 52 books a year. It’s a good average and is easily achievable. Sometimes I read more. Rarely less. I’m on track for that in 2019 also.
I wish I could write as fast as I read. Dictation is an option but I don’t like the sound of my voice, especially when it’s recorded. But again, that’s just a matter of practice and getting used to something. Maybe one day. For now, I like when my fingers hit the keyboard and words appear on the screen.
Books hold a certain power. They’re everlasting. Now with Amazon and all the other platforms, more and more books become available worldwide. Anyone with access can read.
I believe that books can bring people together, books can change the world. We live in such a globalised world with people of different cultures, customs and lifestyles, who travel and migrate, that it’s important for us all to be a little bit more understanding. It’s ignorance that breeds hate and fear.
Books are the tools that can destroy ignorance. They can hold the power to transform our thoughts, bring us understanding of things that have never touched us, and help us live in a united world.
Yes, they’re optimistic thoughts. But they’re also true. If we open up our hearts and minds, books can teach us so much, and in turn help us become more accepting of other ways.
Of course there are two sides of every coin. There will always be good and evil. It’s our choice which side we sway towards and that includes recognising the beauty of books.
What sort of books do you read? Do you think books have the power to change the world? What are you reading at the moment?
NaNoWriMo or National Novel Writing Month, a well known time of year for many writers around the world with over 400,000 participants in 2018.
50,000 words. 30 days. 1667 words per day.
Could you do it?
The purpose of NaNoWriMo isn’t to write a saleable book in 30 days. It’s unlikely that you’re going to have a ready to publish book on hand on 30th November. I mean, sure there are those extreme cases of authors churning out a book a fortnight but for the mere mortals like us, we just want a draft of a novel to work with in December.
Did that take the pressure off?
Good.
I completed my first NaNoWriMo back in 2010. In 30 days, I had a draft of a story I really liked. Then it sat in my drawer for eight years before I picked it up again, and started reworking it.
Over the years I started NaNoWriMo but never finished. Life got in the way. The story got boring. I didn’t take the writing seriously.
You know, the usual excuses.
It’s so easy to have excuses when you’ve got self imposed deadlines and a full time job that covers the bills.
NaNoWriMo is here to stop with the excuses. It’s the one month a year where writers unite, support one another and aim to write their 50,000 words.
Of course, you don’t have to write 50,000 words. You can aim to write 30,000 or even just write for thirty minutes per day.
It’s about creating a habit that will help you finish your first book or your twentieth. And no, they don’t necessarily get easier. You’re always starting a new project. Unless you’re writing a series, you’re always starting from the ground up.
Maybe that’s one of the allures of writing books. It’s hard to get bored when the process and the idea change so much.
With only 5 days till the start of NaNoWriMo 2019 (or six depending on your location in the world), are you prepared?
Don’t fret. A week is plenty of time to get ready for your novel. And a suggestion is to make sure that you’re idea is prepped. No, that’s not cheating. It’s preparation. The prepping is in no way adding to your word count.
5 Day Prep for NaNoWriMo
Day 1
Consider your idea. What do you want to write about? What story do you want to tell? Which genre are you going to write in? What’s the theme of your story?
Summarise the story in one sentence. This is the hardest part so let’s get it out of the way.
Day 2
Think about your characters. Who is this story about? Is the protagonist strong or weak? What are his goals, fears, obstacles, pleasures? Who is your antagonist? Why are they conflicting with your protagonist? Who are they? What’s their back story? Who are your minor characters – the supporting cast?
Write a sentence or two about each character that includes some key detail and makes them unique.
Day 3
Consider your plot. What is your story going to be about? Can you expand that one sentence from day one to a blurb. Make it into three or four paragraphs. No more than 200 words.
Great.
Now expand it further. Divide it into three parts. What happens at the beginning, middle and end?
Figure out how your story starts and ends before you start. Then fill in the gaps.
What are the key plot points/twists that you need to or want to include in your story?
Day 4
Map out those scenes. Think about your story. What images unfold in your mind as you consider your plot and characters?
Use the previous days prepping to start planning out your scenes. You don’t have to know all your scenes before you start writing. Stories evolve and scenes could be taken out and added in as you write.
Focus on the key scenes for each section. Come up with 2-3 scenes for your beginning. 4-5 scenes for the middle and 2-3 scenes for your end. These are key scenes that relate to the major plot points.
If you want to you can expand and include more scenes if they come to mind. Use a spreadsheet or index cards to write them out.
Expand those scenes again. Add details of your setting, plot and characters. Write down things that you want to include in your story. Things that will make your characters likeable as well as those that will make those emotions conflicting. What are some things that can get them into trouble? What are the obstacles that can get in their way?
Day 5
Get your diary out and plan your writing time. Consider all the things you have upcoming in the next 30 days. It could be work commitments. The kids school play. Going to the gym. Birthday parties. Christmas parties. Family get togethers. Maybe even a holiday.
Make the writing blocks equally important. If you’re serious about this you’re going to commit to writing every day, even if it’s just fifteen minutes a day. We can all find fifteen minutes. I’m sure most of us can even find an hour.
Put Netflix and cleaning on the back burner. Unless you’re allergic to dust and dirt, leave the vacuuming, mopping and dishes for after you’ve met your writing quota for the day. If the family eats eggs on toast or finds their own dinner a few nights here and there, nothing is going to happen. At best they’ll appreciate you and realise that they need to get a bit more independent.
Now create those dates with yourself. Think about how fast you write. The average speed is about 40 words per minute. 1667 / 40 is 41.675. So theoretically you should be able to write the minimum in 40 minutes.
Do we live in an ideal world? Of course not.
How to get more writing done during NaNoWriMo?
Wake up 30 minutes earlier and start writing. Write as much as you can in that time.
Instead of gossiping in the work kitchen at lunch, get out the laptop or notepad and start scribbling away.
Waiting in the doctor’s surgery? Keep a notebook for jotting ideas, conversations or scenes that pop into your head. Maybe you carry your laptop with you. Start typing. A ten minute session in the waiting room can net you 400 words. That’s 400 less that you’ll have to find time to write later in the day.
Get the family to serve their own dinner. Make the first thing you do when you get home (after washing your hands and setting your bag aside) is to sit down at the laptop and write. You’ll be less prone to make excuses than if you were to wait for a later time when the house is quiet.
Instead of tuning into Prime or Netflix, go to another part of the house and fire up the lap top. Put on the timer and start writing for twenty minutes. Only when you’ve written your daily quote can you watch an episode of your favourite show.
Go to bed half an hour later and write. Even fifteen minutes. Each word counts. Fifteen minutes at 40wpm is 600 words. Do that three times throughout the day you’re on your way to 50k in 30 days.
Write more on days when you have extra time. On busy days schedule only 500 words, on light days aim for 2500. Make the schedule work for you and your lifestyle.
Have fun. NaNoWriMo is supposed to be fun. It’s not supposed to be torture. You want to enjoy it enough so that you’re writing spark doesn’t go out. You’re a writer, don’t get put off by the pressure or not having finished the 50k in 30 days.
How to Stay Motivated During NaNoWriMo?
Motivation is a huge factor in not finishing the thirty days on a roll. But there are things you can do to stay motivated all month long and write that book you’ve been dreaming of writing.
Have a plan in place and written in your diary.
Ask your family and friends for support. Maybe a pal can text you words of motivation every day.
Start the day with a motivational quote to get you writing
Put writing first for the 30 days. Just write, no excuses.
Have rewards for small achievements. Watch a TV show at the end of the day, buy yourself a new notebook, book a writer’s retreat weekend.
Make the process fun rather than a chore
Have a buddy or accountability partner. Need a writing buddy? Sign up and join me and hundreds of thousands of other writers in NaNoWriMo in 2019!
Are you doing NaNoWriMo this year? Have you plotted out your novel or will you wing it from day one?
